A day after Ganesha idols were immersed in Chennai, several idols, plastic waste, and other debris washed ashore at the Pattinapakkam beach on Monday, September 25. According to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), debris that weighed up to 70 tonnes was collected from the shore by 140 sanitary workers from Sumeet Urbaser. A number of JCB excavators were also deployed for the purpose.
The GCC, in a statement, said that while around 1,300 statues were successfully immersed in the sea, around 50 had washed ashore. GCC Commissioner J Radhakrishnan inspected the Pattinapakkam beach on Monday, after media reports claimed that the sea water had turned green due to excess use of chemicals in making the Ganesh idols immersed.
On Sunday, around 17,000 police personnel were stationed across the state to ensure peace when the idols were ceremonially taken out for immersion. In Chennai’s Triplicane, close to 800 personnel from the police, strike force, and commando force were deployed after Hindu groups threatened to protest close to the Ice House mosque — a religiously sensitive region which had seen a deadly riot back in 1990.
Mild tension prevailed in Triplicane when a few groups associated with the Hindu Munnani refused to take out the idols through a diverted route and stopped the chariots abruptly, causing some delay and anxiety. The procession resumed peacefully after the police intervened and held a dialogue with the protesting groups.